


Unstable Stability

by begitalarcos



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, M/M, Minor Violence, Mpreg, Original Character(s), Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-25
Packaged: 2019-10-31 13:21:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17850239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/begitalarcos/pseuds/begitalarcos
Summary: Connor has had conflicting signals in his head for weeks now. He’d chalked most of it up to the fact he and Hank have been intimate with each other, but when it doesn’t go away he slips away one afternoon to ask the man himself, Elijah Kamski, what the hell is going on inside him.





	1. Nightmares

Connor gently moved Hank’s arm slinking silently out of the bed and locking himself into the bathroom. His hands were shaking, it had been over a year since the android revolution. Since that cold embrace he and Hank shared in front of the Chicken Feed. Things were different now. He was working side by side with Hank at the DPD, they were partners. At work and at home. It was more than he could’ve ever asked for. He had a family now, and friends. Something he couldn’t have hoped to fathom a year ago, which seemed light years away from now. But something was wrong, it had been for awhile now and he was trying desperately to hide it from everyone.

**Software Instability**

Those words hadn’t shot up behind his eyes in months, but now they came more and more often. His hands would shake or an eye would twitch. There was a confusion and a desperateness inside that wasn’t there before. It didn’t always happen, but in times of stress or intense concentration he would feel the tremors in his body… in his voice. Hank noticed it but Connor reassured him that everything was fine. Until last Friday when Gavin hurled another insult in his direction, just in passing. Connor had shoved him, and it wasn’t a gentle shove either. He shouldn’t have reacted that way. He’d been able to ignore Reed before, why was this so different? And it was more of a sarcastic comment than an insult.  
Connor’s LED blinked from red to yellow, he tried to steady his shaking hands by placing them on either side of the bathroom sink but they wouldn’t stop. His whole body was in a shiver. A loud crack roused Hank from his sleep, Connor stepped back from the sink, broken pieces of porcelain clattered to the floor. He’d leaned so far into it he’d cracked and broken it away from the wall.  
“Connor? Connor what the hell is going on in there?!” Connor caught his reflection, LED still blinking violently from yellow to red. Hank banged against the door with his shoulder again and again until finally the door swung open and still Connor’s hands shook

**Software Instability**

“What the hell happened?” now there were tears, tears that Connor didn’t want to shed but yet they came.  
“I- I don’t know.” His voice small and scared, this wasn’t what he wanted. Stop crying! Stop! But he couldn’t, Hank pulled Connor away from the sink and into the bedroom sitting him down on the bed, wrapping a blanket around him.  
“It’s okay. You’re okay.” But he couldn’t calm himself, it was as if he were a child, lost and afraid in the great big world and no one was going to rescue him.  
“I think something’s wrong with me.” Hank held Connor’s hands, kneeling before him.  
“It’s gonna be okay Con.” There were so many errors shooting up behind his eyes, and none of them made any sense. The letters were all jumbled the only one he could understand was the one he didn’t want to see at all 

**Software Instability**

“What do you need? Can I do anything?” Hank held Connor’s hands tightly in his own, running his thumb over the back of the android’s hand. This was comforting and the tremors seemed to slowly subside, he tried to focus on that.  
“I’m okay.” He said, eyes closed his LED flashing yellow, but not as much as it had been, now the red was gone.  
“You sure?” Connor met eyes with Hank, fully alert and concerned.  
“Yeah it was just a nightmare.” Hank looked surprised  
“I didn’t know you could have nightmares.” Connor looked into his hands  
“I didn’t either.” Hank chuckled rising to his feet and rustling Connor’s hair  
“Happens to the best of us. You okay to go back to sleep now?” Connor nodded  
“I think so.” Hank stretched  
“Good. Cause I gotta work a double shift tomorrow.” Connor smiled moving over to his side of the bed  
“Sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry.” Hank said crawling back into bed, pulling Connor into an embrace  
“Just try to get some rest.” He nodded against Hank’s chest listening intently to the sound of the older man’s heartbeat.  
“Gonna be a long day tomorrow.”

==============================================

Connor closed the door behind the repair man, the sink was fixed again. Sumo trotted over to his food dish and pushed it around with his foot. Hank was already gone, he’d overslept again but he begrudgingly dragged himself out of bed and off to work. Connor took a cup full of hard kibble and dropped it in Sumo’s bowl. They’d recently put him on a diet, which Sumo wasn’t happy about. He’d begun digging more holes in the yard in protest to the yucky diet dog food. Connor had to scold Hank for sneaking him extra pieces of bacon every now and again. But it was the least of his worries at the moment. Last night was the worst it had ever been, whatever was happening to him was quickly going to compromise not only his position at the DPD but also with Hank if he couldn’t get it under control. There was only one person he could turn to, and he wasn’t looking forward to it.

=============================================================

Chloe answered the door, just as pretty and genuine as she had always been. But more modestly dressed. Connor had supposed she had “woken up” as well, but chose to stay with Kamski.  
“Elijah is expecting you.” She said with a smile  
“Please follow me.” Connor nodded and followed close behind, they went down a hall and arrived at a large metal door, Chloe pressed her hand against a panel and the door unlocked with a hiss and a clonk of a large magnetic bolt. From there they went down some stairs and through another hallway before coming to another door. Chloe pressed a button and a voice spoke  
“Who is it?” it was Kamski, he watched Chloe wave to the camera above the door that soon slid open. She took a step back and motioned for Connor to enter.  
“Thank you.” She smiled in response and walked back down the hall toward the stairs

“Come in.” Kamski said, typing at a terminal. As soon as Connor entered the room the door slid shut once more.  
“What can I do for you?” he still wasn’t looking at Connor, eyes going from one monitor to the next.  
“There’s something wrong with me.”  
“Besides being deviant?” Connor felt a slight tick in the side of his face at the comment.  
“This has nothing to do with being deviant.”  
“You sound confident of that.” Elijah finally looked over and immediately his demeanor changed. Connor looked different somehow, not only in the way he carried himself but… he couldn’t quite place it.  
“Come here.” Connor looked unsure but Kamski beckoned him forward with his hands. He held as still as his body allowed as Elijah turned his face from side to side, lifted his shirt and opened his chest panel.  
“Everything looks alright.” Connor knit his brow as Elijah poked and prodded at his insides.  
“I’ll do a full body scan to be sure though.” He shut Connor’s chest plate and returned to the terminal he’d been working on, a heavy window slid down revealing a machine on the other side of the glass. It reminded Connor of the Cyberlife factory, metal clips that held ones limbs in place and a large needle like cable that plugged into the back of your skull. It’s what they used to create and also destroy androids.

“Don’t be shy now.” Kamski waved his palm in the direction of a door that slid open, giving them access to the machine. Connor took a step toward the door  
“You’ll need to disrobe first.” Kamski turned back to the monitors, pulling up the program he would need to accomplish the scan. Connor looked down at himself, then to the machine then back to Elijah  
“You have nothing I haven’t seen before.” He was right but still. It just made Connor feel so… exposed. Reluctantly he took off his shirt, next his pants, socks and then shoes. Folded neatly in his hands Elijah sighed and took the clothes setting them down on a chair. Then once again motioning to the open door, Connor stepped into the room looking back as the door slid shut. The whole room was white except for the window into the lab.  
“Step up to the machine and lie back.” He did as he was told, the restraints clamped down over his arms and legs. The tremors were coming back, Connor closed his eyes LED blinking yellow. Elijah watching all the while, intrigued by Connor’s response. He input a command and a mechanical arm lined up the needle that jutted forward and into the back of Connor’s skull. His eyes wide and LED flashing red.

“I’m initiating the scan now.” Elijah’s voice came over the speaker. Connor attempted to nod as a wave of green light washed over him. Data flashed in a series of letters and numbers across Elijah’s screen. He read it as fast as it came, scrolling over and over until an anomaly presented itself. The green light moved up and down Connor’s body as Elijah scanned him again and again. Trying to locate the source of a signal that shouldn’t be there. Finally, the light disappeared and with a whirring and a click the needle was ejected and the restraints popped back open. Connor rubbed the back of his head, looking back at the offending plug that had violated him. Elijah opened the door and Connor emerged, gathering his clothes and redressing.  
“So what’s wrong with me?” Elijah isolated a series of spots on Connor’s scan before turning to face him  
“You’re pregnant.” It wasn’t the response Connor was expecting.  
“I’m what?”  
“Pregnant. Not in the traditional sense of course.” he turned back to the monitors as Connor pulled on his shirt and came to stand next to him, Elijah pointed at a screen that glowed with a variety of colors that seemed to pulsate.  
“Your software has manifested an additional consciousness within you.” Bewildered Connor just stared at the colors on the screen  
“How is that possible?” Elijah crossed his arms with a grin  
“I’m not sure. All I know is that it’s there.” Connor tucked his shirt into his pants  
“You’re sure?” Elijah rolled his eyes  
“You want to get in the machine again?”  
“No.”  
“When did you first notice things were different?” Connor paced from the terminal to the doorway and back  
“Almost two months ago.”  
“How did it start?” Connor crossed and uncrossed his arms  
“Tremors in my hands, confusion and… outbursts of emotion.”  
“Provoked?”  
“Not always.” Elijah began to type, his attention on the anomaly  
“I’d like to see you on a regular basis. That way I can monitor the progression.”  
“Progression? You mean it’s going to get worse?”  
“It’s likely, yes.” Connor clenched his fists as he felt his hands once again begin to shake.  
“Isn’t there a way we can get it out of me?” intrigued by the idea Elijah turned to face Connor  
“At such an early stage it’s not likely to survive. You should let it incubate longer.”  
“This isn’t like a human fetus.”  
“Sure, it is.” Elijah pointed at the screen  
“You see here.” Connor watched the screen, colors pulsing and jumping vibrantly  
“When you first plugged in it reacted as if it were under duress. Now look here.” They watched the screen together the colors softened to a pale bluish green the longer the scan went on  
“When you relaxed it did too.” Connor shifted from foot to foot  
“It needs more time to develop.”  
“So, what do I do in the mean time?” Elijah watched as the scan looped and the colors pulsed and relaxed  
“Try not to stress it out.”


	2. Deal with it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor can't stand keeping this "thing" inside any longer, and returns to Kamski in hopes of a solution

Connor sat at his desk buttoning and unbuttoning the cuff of his shirt, he’d been distracted for well over two weeks now. Anytime the subject of why came up he was quick to derail the conversation and move on to something else. This fidgety behavior was new, Hank wasn’t keen on it either.  
“Hey, I’m talking to you asshole.” Connor looked up to see Gavin standing a desk away from him  
“You deaf as well as stupid?” he didn’t answer, looking at his screen now as a means to distract himself. But Reed clearly had a bone to pick today. He walked over and sat on the edge of the desk. Hank was in a briefing so he wasn’t there to save his precious pet this time.  
“Detective you have a call.” Reed ignored the words of his partner, an RK900, the spitting image of Connor all for a few differences. Height, eye color, boring general things that Reed didn’t care about. He was still an android and he refused to acknowledge him as anything but. Connor scrolled through random case files as Reed leaned in front of the monitor, Connor turned his eyes up toward Gavin. Not at all amused with the pestering.  
“On your period or something?” Connor turned his chair and attempted to skim through the paperwork on the opposite side of his desk. This wasn’t having the desired effect Gavin had been hoping for. If the baby lieutenant shoved him again it’d be fair game, he could shove the fucker back.  
“Detective.” Nines voice called out to him but was ignored  
“You just gonna ignore me now? That it?” Connor hunched his shoulders as Gavin pushed off the desk and stood over him, face much too close for comfort.  
“Detective!”  
“What?” Gavin yelled as he turned immediately startled to see Nines standing in front of him  
“You have a call on line two. I suggest you answer it.”  
“Well I suggest you mind your own business.” Nines didn’t move, just gave a disapproving look until Gavin finally backed down and slinked back to his desk.  
“Fuckin’ androids.” He muttered, Nines turned his attention to Connor who was balling his fists open and closed again

“Are you in need of assistance?” Connor shook his head  
“You seem to be experiencing some form of distress.”  
“I’m fine.” Nines cocked his head slightly, scanning Connor up and down, not convinced by his words  
“That isn’t true.”  
“Just leave me alone.” Connor said flatly, turning to meet eyes with the other android. Nines held his steely expression as he stared down at Connor  
“Perhaps you require maintenance?”  
“Please just leave me alone.” Nines was confused by Connor’s lack of concern over his curious behavior. But he gave a nod and excused himself to the desk opposite Reed, who turned in his chair as the android glanced in his direction. Connor swallowed hard, his hands kept shaking as he sat there staring down at them.

“ _At such an early stage it’s not likely to survive. You should let it incubate longer._ ” Kamski’s words echoed in the back of his mind, images of brilliant color flashed behind his eyes. What if he didn’t want whatever this was? What if it was slowly starting to take him over? Like a virus. There were so many questions and no one he could ask. Except for Elijah. But he didn’t want to get back in that machine.  
Connor jumped as a hand was placed on his shoulder.  
“You alright?” it was Hank, Connor nodded balling his fists again and placing them in his lap. Hank didn’t believe him but took a seat at his desk. Connor just sat there with shaking fists in his lap.  
“Another nightmare?” but Connor didn’t seem to hear him, there were jumbled words behind his eyes that seemed to scratch and claw at him. Wanting desperately to be heard. But he couldn’t understand them.

**Software Instability**

Connor stood so suddenly he knocked his chair back causing Hank and many others to look up at him.  
“Connor?” he looked pale and terrified, Hank had only seen this face once before. On a rooftop where a deviant committed suicide. Reed shook his head grinning as he went back to his work, Nines looked on curiously as Hank came around the desk and took Connor’s hands, they were so cold.  
“What’s the matter?” Connor pulled his hands away  
“I have to go.”  
“Go? Go where?” Hank called out as Connor knocked into a desk and clumsily made his way out of the room.  
“Troubles in paradise?” Reed mused not looking up, Hank ignored him and started out of the room but when he pushed through the doors and outside Connor was no where to be seen.  
“What the fuck is going on?” he muttered under his breath

===============================================================

“I can’t keep it in anymore.” Chloe ran in behind Connor who had pushed past her to get to Elijah, who was sitting by his pool. She looked apologetic but Elijah waved her away as Connor sat in the chair opposite him.  
“It’s tearing me apart inside. I can’t- I can’t-“Elijah shushed him as he stood, extending a hand to Connor who took it. He followed him out of the pool room, down the hall, through the door and down the stairs.  
“I’ve been preparing for your return.” Elijah said matter-of-factually as he input a code that opened the door to his lab. He stepped inside but Connor was reluctant, it was dimly lit with blue light as always most of the light came from the shining of buttons and monitors. Elijah looked to the doorway then back to his terminal, inputting a code that opened the door to that dreaded machine. Slowly Connor entered the room, rolling his hands over each other with each careful step. In the open doorway Elijah was standing over a table. One that was similar to the one he’d used to scan Connor but atop this one was an android. One not unlike any Connor had ever seen before. As he came further and further into the room, he got a better look. The frame was small, not like that of a child but it wasn’t an adult frame either. It looked to be lighter than traditional models, it had no serial number but it did bare a model number LK350. 

“Do you like it?” Connor looked from Elijah back to the empty android.  
“I don’t understand.” Elijah turned out the android’s hands, then ran his hand over the smooth plastic of its skull.  
“I’ve devised a way to transfer your ‘child’ into this body.” Connor didn’t know how to feel. He’d never heard of anything like this, and the idea that whatever was wrecking havoc inside him was some kind of living entity was still so foreign. It didn’t feel like a… child. It felt like a mass of emotions. Confusion, fear… it made him feel small inside.  
“I’ll need you to do exactly what I say to ensure the process goes smoothly.” Connor felt himself nod, he wasn’t looking forward to whatever the process was to remove this anomaly but he wasn’t too keen to keep it inside any longer either. 

The next few moments were tense, Elijah led Connor to a room opposite of the lab, where in it there was a machine unlike any Connor had ever seen. Its parts were similar to machines he’d seen at Cyberlife but this was new, something created for this process alone. He disrobed and sat in a large steel chair, arms and legs restrained and a large apparatus placed in front of his eyes. Elijah spoke to him through a speaker.  
“Hold still.” The whir of a mechanical arm could be heard behind him, tiny prongs came from the sides of the chair and held his head in place as a needle jutted forward and into the back of his head. The prongs released as the cable was in place.  
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Connor asked hesitantly, the hiss and whirring of machines all around him. A black eye like mechanism moved forward and lined up with his eyes.  
“Relatively.” Was the response he got, not reassuring. The center of the black eye began to turn red.  
“Hold still. This might sting a little.” All at once a bright flash of red light shot forward, Connor felt himself stiffen as his iris burst and his eyes filled with a silver film. He lurched forward LED blinking a furious red, Elijah monitored everything from the next room. He watched Connor’s signal beat frantically across his screen. Several key strokes later and there were two body scans on screen, Connor’s signal slowly became a gentle blue as it settled and the new signal pulsed in fractals of bright orange. Elijah grinned as he initialized the transfer and another large cable was lined up behind the small android’s skull, needle pushing forward and inside. The eyes of the new android fluttered as the fetal consciousness was loaded. Connor blinked awake in the other room, Elijah input a command that unplugged him from the machine, but as soon as the restraints popped open he fell to the floor.  
Shaking away the blindness until his iris came back a honey brown. There was a strange emptiness in him he hadn’t felt before but everything else was gone. He felt warmth return to his hands as he pushed himself up to stand. The door slid open and he joined Elijah in the lab.

“Is it okay?” Elijah didn’t look over as Connor collected his clothes and began to redress  
“It’s fine. I’m loading it into the body now.” Connor walked over to the glass and watched, its fingers were shaking and eye lids fluttering as data was poured through it.  
“Will it be able to learn? I mean- you said you’d never seen anything like this before, right?” Kamski was still giving full attention to his monitors as Connor looked back to the android  
“I haven’t no.” a chime signaled the end of the transfer  
“Though it seems your kind is always evolving.” Connor turned as Elijah came to stand next to him  
“This being is part of you. Who knows what it’ll be capable of.” The android blinked its eyes and turned its head, unsure of its surroundings. With effort it sat up and looked at itself in the reflection of the glass.  
“Can it see us?” Elijah shook his head. It attempted to stand but fell to one knee. Not able to comprehend what it was or how it came to be, no understanding of how its synthetic skin worked or how to cover itself with it. Patches of skin clipped around its body. It’s eyes still a brilliant blue never softening to a more human like iris.  
“What’s wrong with it?” Connor demanded, Elijah shrugged crossing his arms  
“It didn’t come from traditional software. All it knows it learned from you.” The android looked into its hands, opening its mouth to speak but no words came. Connor made his way to the door and Kamski sauntered over to terminal to open it. It cowered as Connor approached, throwing his jacket over its shoulders, it shields its eyes from the white light of the room, pale skin finally blooming over the majority of its body. Connor watches as faded red hair plumes from its head and settles around its shoulders.  
“It’s alright.” He says softly but it can barely look at him through shaking hands and frightened eyes  
“No one is going to hurt you.” Kamski presses a few keys and the reflective film fades from the glass, the android glances in his direction

“ _Auuuugh…_ ” it manages but its voice is distorted and mechanical. Unable to fully grasp what it has been poured into and how to navigate this new vehicle as it continues to try and speak. Connor watches it closely as it looks up at him. Suddenly it becomes frightened it’s head twitches violently and it pulls at the plug that is still secured to the back of its head. Connor tries to calm it but it’s of no use.  
“What did you do?!” Elijah promptly cancels the command he’d input  
“Just checking its reaction to stimuli.”  
“You shocked it?” Kamski shrugs from behind the glass, Connor knit his brow kneeling closer to the android who hums in distress, legs curled toward its chest, hands still on the cable plugged into its head. its lips are blue and quivering. So very child like. Connor traces the cable from the back of its head back to the wall, turning back to the glass.  
“Unhook this.” he commands pointing to the large cable  
“I don’t think it’s ready to be independent. I need to monitor its internal functionality. If it can’t talk properly or regulate it’s exterior functions its not likely to understand when it’s in actual distress.” He wasn’t happy with Elijah’s response, but he wasn’t wrong. The android whimpered, broken blue eyes blinking violently as if it were overwhelmed by tasks it was unable to process.  
“You’re alright.” Connor reassured, it flinched as he placed a hand on its leg but slowly relaxed as Connor moved closer.  
“Just calm down. It’s alright.” the android blinked away alerts that came up in garbled words behind its eyes. So unsure of its surrounding and itself, but slowly it moved forward to lie its head in Connor’s lap. Who was quite unsure of what to do now. He looked to Kamski but got nothing more than a smirk. The android continued to hum to itself as Connor gently stroked its hair.  
“It’s alright.” He said over and over.  
“Everything's going to be alright.”

**Artwork by http://frefrnky.tumblr.com**


	3. Luke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Afraid of what might happen if he leaves his android child with Kamski, Connor decides to take it home with him. But what will Hank say?

Hank rustled his hair as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard, setting a bottle of whiskey down on the kitchen table. The chair squealed as he pulled it out and sat down. It was late and Connor wasn’t home. Wherever he was Hank had no clue. Sumo pushed his bowl that was empty again.  
“You ate already.” The dog continued to push his bowl, Hank opened the bottle and started to pour himself a glass looking back as Sumo persisted.  
“Stop eating so damn fast you fatso.” Sumo huffed sniffing at his bowl before coming to sit under the table on top of Hank’s feet. Who took a long sip of his drink, he’d already showered off the day and was now in just a t-shirt, boxers and his old tattered robe. He nudged the dog with his foot who groaned and leaned in closer to his master’s legs.  
“He’ll be home soon.” Hank assured, though he wasn’t sure whether that was the truth or not.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

“What am I supposed to do now?” Elijah had allowed Connor to unhook the android but continued to monitor it as it stumbled around the room, the reflective film now back on the glass.  
“It can obviously learn.” Connor watched the android that continued to try and stand up straight each time its knees buckled. Its eyes were still a fractured blue as if it were staring blind at its surroundings  
“It’s just going to take time.”  
“Couldn’t you teach it? Upgrade it somehow?” Elijah tightened his ponytail reading and rereading the data that feathered across the monitors before him.  
“I didn’t write it’s program. You did.” Connor fidgeted, rubbing the back of his hands over each other  
“Besides I said I would extract it. I never agreed to be it’s babysitter.” Connor knit his brow watching the android, it spoke in mechanical tones as it moved around the room in circles. Covered only by Connor’s jacket, its body pale and smooth, skin still clipping at the joints that emanated a bluish tinge. Like a bruise that wouldn’t heal.  
“I can’t take it home with me if it can’t communicate properly.” Elijah eyed the android again before finally turning his attention to Connor  
“I’ll keep it here on one condition. That you allow me to examine it fully.” His words were suspiciously cryptic  
“You want to experiment on it. Don’t you?” the sounds the android made had a fractured loveliness to them, like a record player running slowly in reverse. Kamski turned back to the monitors, the android snaked its hands along the glass still humming its mechanical tune.

“So much like a child, isn’t it?” Connor looked from Kamski back to the android  
“The things it could teach us.”  
“I won’t let you hurt it.” Elijah looked Connor up and down, then returned his attention to the monitors  
“Pain is part of the birth process Connor.” the android looked up at the lights, transfixed as it stood in the center of the room. Elijah input a command that sent a pulse of low frequency sound through the room causing the android to fall to its knees covering its ears. It cried out like a wounded animal  
“Stop!” Connor commanded pushing Elijah away from the keyboard  
“Leave him alone.” Elijah cocked his head slightly, almost surprised  
“So, it’s a HIM now?” this wasn’t a fight Connor had prepared for or one he wanted to escalate but something inside him screamed that he had to protect this android  
“I’m taking him with me.” Elijah slowly made his way back to the keyboard, unphased by the outburst and the android that stood before him.  
“Alright then.” he reached around Connor and pressed a key that opened the door to the android’s chamber, who shaking like a leaf looked up, Connor gave Elijah a dissatisfied look before rushing into the room to pull the android to its feet. One arm around its shoulders and another gently turning its face up to meet his gaze. It was so frightened but it leaned into him.  
“I’m going to take care of you.” the android blinked softly, face contorted in fear but it nodded. Kamski watched them as Connor slowly walked them out of the room. He smiled inwardly as they both left the lab, unable to comprehend the stairs Connor promptly lifted the smaller android into his arms, Elijah watching them all the while through the security camera’s. Chloe looked on curiously as Connor emerged from the long hallway and moved swiftly past her and out the front door. Elijah smiled to himself, pulling up the data he’d collected from the transfer.  
This wouldn’t be the last time he’d see the little abomination. He was quite sure of that.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The android stared in wonder at the light of each street lamp they passed under. Eyes constantly refocusing as the light grew and shrank each time. They were in an autonomous DPD vehicle, and at first Connor’s instinct had been to go home, but now he wasn’t so sure. What was he going to say? What would Hank say? There were so many questions and no easy answers or solutions. The android shivered pulling Connor’s jacket tighter around itself. It meekly glanced in Connor’s direction, mouth moving as if it wanted to speak but it couldn’t quite form the words.  
“I-“ It started but stopped, Connor input a command for the car to pull over his seat swiveled to face the smaller android.  
“It’s alright.” He assured, the android didn’t look convinced still holding the jacket tightly as it shivered. Connor pursed his lips, trying to decide what to say.  
“My name is Connor.” Fractured blue eyes finally looked up  
“C- C- “ Connor waited patiently, encouraging the young android to try and continue  
“C- Con- Connor.” It said, voice still mechanical but it was clear. Connor smiled  
“That’s right. You were a part of me. Do you remember that?” the android’s eyes searched, if it had an LED it would’ve been blinking gold as it tried to place the gravity of the question. Images fizzled into its mind, images seen through Connor’s eyes. Hank, the house, the DPD… so many images at once. But it knew, it didn’t understand fully what these images meant or who these people were but it remembered. It gave the subtlest of nods, this excited Connor who had been unsure if it was even capable of learning.  
“You were given a body of your own. We couldn’t exist together in mine.” It looked at its hands, skin still clipping around its knuckles.  
“I- I am-“ Connor watched as it clenched and unclenched its fists  
“Alive?” it seemed so lost, it wasn’t so much a question as it was a statement. But there was confusion radiating through every fiber of its being. Connor nodded.  
“Yes. Yes, you are.” The corners of its mouth curled and it almost smiled, looking back into its hands. Raindrops started to pat the windshield which caught its attention, it watched as more and more droplets of water fell against the glass and raced their way down. Connor sat silently as it moved closer to the windshield, touched the glass with pale slender fingers. The onboard destination light blinked and the car began to resume its course, swiveling Connors seat back to its original position. Maybe things would be alright. It was going to be a challenge, there was no doubt of that. How Hank was going to react though, that was a different story.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

When they finally pulled up in front of the house they sat there in silence for a few minutes. The car chimed once and again that they had reached their destination but the rain was still falling and there were uncertainties about walking through the front door.  
“This is home.” The android looked at the house, the image of it fizzled like static in its memory.  
“Home.” It said, Connor nodded it was now or never. Hank looked up from the paper he was reading as he heard the door open.  
“That you Con?”  
“Yes, it’s me.” Sumo looked up from his spot under the kitchen window, pushed up snug against the radiator. Hank rustled his papers as Connor came around the corner.  
“Where were you?” Connor bit his bottom lip, looking back to the door then to Hank who put down the paper  
“What is it?”  
“I have something to show you.” There was apprehension in his voice as he moved back towards the door and Hank wasn’t so sure he was gonna like whatever this was  
“Little late for show and tell y’know.” He waited as Connor came back around the corner, a small and stooped figure timidly looking out from under his arm.  
“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Hank wasn’t sure what it was he was looking at. It looked like a young boy, but his skin was so pale, his hair was wet and tangled and his eyes… what the hell was wrong with his eyes?  
“What the hell is that?” the android turned its face into Connor’s side  
“He’s an android.”  
“That much I’ve gathered.” Hank remarked, still not sure what this thing was doing standing half naked in his kitchen.  
“What is it doing here?” Connor looked down at the android  
“He’s going to be staying with us.” It nervously looked at Hank who had so many questions. Sumo lifted his head and yawned catching the young android’s attention, it looked to Connor for approval who nodded and a twinge of a smile came across its face as it very gradually made its way to the dog. Hank pushed back from the table and came to stand next to Connor both of them watching as the other android knelt next to Sumo.  
“He has no where else to go.” Hank groaned, putting one hand on Connor’s shoulder as he stepped closer to speak in his ear  
“Well I must’ve missed the big sign on my front door that said “HOME FOR STRAY ROBOTS” it can’t stay here.” He attempted to move past Connor but his arm was gripped, there was a desperateness in Connor’s eyes  
“He belongs with us Hank.”  
“What the hell does that even mean?” the older man whispered through gritted teeth, Connor searched his memory for the right words, while the small android meekly hovered its hand over Sumo, eyes constantly looking the animal up and down  
“You remember all those issues I was having?” Hank wasn’t sure where this was going  
“You mean the nightmares and stuff?” Connor nodded  
“Somehow a second consciousness manifested itself within my software.”  
“In English please.” ever so slowly the little android laid its hand on Sumo’s back, it seemed quietly excited by the sensation of the animal’s fur. It looked back and forth from Connor to Sumo  
“It’s like- we had a baby.” Hank’s eyes widened waiting for the punch line  
“Yer fucking with me.” Connor shook his head as Hank rubbed his temples  
“Androids can’t get pregnant Connor. That makes no sense!” Sumo yawned again as the android stroked his fur more and more, visibly delighted by the deed  
“None of that seems to have mattered.” Connor stated letting go of Hank’s arm who turned to watch the android smiling and laughing mechanically as Sumo sat up and licked its face. Hank gave a heavy sigh as he returning to the kitchen table to take a long sip of whiskey.  
“Shit just keeps on getting weirder and weirder.” He took off his robe and handed it to Connor.  
“So how exactly did you ‘deliver’ him?” Connor made his way to the android gently motioning it to stand so he could remove the wet jacket slung around its shoulders, its seemed content as Connor redressed it in Hank’s robe, it was warm and much longer than the jacket was. As soon as it was redressed it turned its attention back to Sumo.  
“Kamski transferred it from me to a new body.” Hank poured himself another drink  
“Does it have a name?” that hadn’t even occurred to Connor. He shook his head  
“Got any idea’s?” Hank mused, taking a sip of his drink. Connor’s LED blinked yellow as he pondered the idea of what this child of theirs should be called.  
“The LK350 model was specifically created for him.” Hank watched as Sumo pawed at the android who continued to pat and ruffle the dog’s fur.  
“LK huh? Well, how about Luke then?” it looked back at Connor smiling  
“I like that.” Connor agreed kneeling next to the android that hugged around Sumo’s neck  
“Your name is Luke now.” It blinked absorbing the statement  
“L-Luke.” It repeated, Hank couldn’t help but grin as it nodded in agreement.  
“Well alright then.” He drank back the remainder of his glass and stood. Extending a hand to Luke who looked to Connor to make sure it was safe who nodded with a gentle smile. Slowly the android placed his hand in Hank’s who shook it rousing a curious look.  
“Nice to meet you Luke. I’m Hank” The young android gripped Hank’s hand a little tighter and began to shake it back  
“N-nice to m-meet you H- Hank.”


	4. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the first night home, Luke has some adjusting to do. But so does Hank

It was early and Hank had hoped he would be able to sleep in, but from the chatter coming from the living room he supposed that hope was in vain. He stretched and groaned, heaving himself out of bed, scratching the back of his head as he headed to the bathroom.

“Sumo. Come Sumo.” Luke called with arms stretched wide as the dog trotted toward him. His voice was still very mechanical and his eyes hadn’t softened but he was talking, he was trying and that was the important thing. Connor sat on the couch observing as Hank came around the corner.  
“Morning boys.” he called making his way into the kitchen to find coffee already brewed and his mug waiting for him next to the pot.  
“Good. Good morning.” Luke said proudly, Hank glanced back while he poured his coffee. Sumo was loving all the attention he was getting as the little android scratched and rustled the fur around his neck.  
“Making progress I see.” Connor stood and made his way to the kitchen, hugging Hank from behind who continued to prepare his coffee, two cubes of sugar and a quick stir  
“Thank you for being so understanding.” Hank patted the top of Connor’s head over his shoulder  
“Uh huh.” He took a sip of his coffee, the sound of Luke humming from the living room the only sound that filled the house. Connor released his grip as Hank reached for the bread and pulled out the toaster. The springy sound the lever made when he inserted the bread brought Luke from the living room, this was a device he hadn’t seen before. Hank side stepped the little android and went to the front door to fetch the paper. Luke stared at his warped reflection in the toaster, watching the steam rise from the slits, he moved his hand forward but Connor took him gently by the wrist  
“It’s hot.” He cautioned releasing the little android, Luke gave a curious cock of his head turning back to the toaster extending his hand again toward the red coils he could see  
“You’re going to get burned.” Connor said but that didn’t deter the young android who pushed his finger into the slot and then promptly pulled it back when the heat seared at his finger tip. Connor looked to Hank who just grinned.  
“Kids. You can tell em but they’re still gonna do whatever they want.” Luke wiggled his finger looking at the toaster.  
“Hot.” He said, Connor nodded  
“Yes. Hot.” The toast popped up startling the young android who clung to Connor. Hank could only laugh at his response.   
The rest of the morning was relaxed, Connor made breakfast for Hank while Luke tried to help, he was fascinated by the cracking of the eggs. When Connor handed him one to break himself, he wanted to do it over and over again, which resulted in a very large pan of scrambled eggs that Sumo was happy to scarf down when it was left unattended on the kitchen counter. Hank had to run some errands which left the house to the androids. Luke had no clothes and was still donning Hank’s old robe but it didn’t seem to bother him. The majority of the afternoon was spent teaching small tasks. Connor demonstrated how to brush one’s hair, how to wash one’s hands, make a bed, wash dishes and that Sumo needed to be taken care of as well. But Luke delighted in any task that had to do with Sumo, he liked standing outside in the backyard, bare feet in the grass as Sumo trotted about sniffing and rolling. though when it came to feeding Connor had to step in as Luke decided he should try the dog food more than once. 

“I’m home.” Sumo came to greet Hank at the door who was carrying several bags, Connor met him in the kitchen as Hank set the bags on the kitchen table, they were full of clothes and things for Luke.   
“I didn’t know his size but I figured he couldn’t stay in my robe forever.” Connor smiled as Luke came out from the bedroom to see what was going on. He looked at all the items that Hank set out on the table. There were clothes, books, puzzles and games. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of it all.  
“These are for you Luke.” That got them the brightest of smiles as the little android picked up more than he could carry and carted it off to the bedroom. Connor helped to dress him and they spent the next hour sitting on the living room floor looking at picture books and working on puzzles. Though what happened next couldn’t have prepared Connor. While Luke sat on the floor attempting to read to Sumo, Connor got up to see where Hank had gone, and as soon as he entered the hall, he noticed something. The door opposite the bathroom was open. Since Connor had known Hank there was a room in his house that had always been locked, and not once had Connor seen that door open, but there it was, wide open and the sound of Hank rummaging around in there, this intrigued Connor.   
Hank was looking through boxes, reorganizing their contents and shoving different things into garbage bags. It was a small room, there was a single bed, a dresser and bookshelf and a colorful circular rug that covered most of the floor. It was Cole’s room. Hank was setting different toys and books on the shelf as Connor slowly entered the room.

“Thought it was about time I went through some of this stuff.” Connor couldn’t take his eyes off Hank, who moved with purpose, clearly not wanting to discuss any personal demons pertaining to the opening of the bedroom. He moved items from box to bag to shelf and stacked the full boxes into the closet. Some things just weren’t ready to come out. He shook out a blanket speckled with stars and planets and laid it on the bed, it fell crooked and he rounded from the end to the head of the bed to straighten it.  
“You didn’t have to do this.” Hank stopped for a moment before returning to busy himself, he set toy cars in a row on the dresser and neatly placed books side by side on the shelf.  
“Hank.” He didn’t want to talk but Connor couldn’t leave things dead in the air like this, he put a hand on the older man’s shoulder who remained distracted, tying up the garbage bag and pushing past Connor towards the front door. He was happy that Hank was so accepting of Luke, but he didn’t want him to believe this android was in some way a replacement for Cole. He knew how difficult it was for Hank to talk about the death of his son, even to talk about the good times they’d shared together. To give his android son his human sons room was a big step, and it seemed to Connor like things were going a little too fast. Hank set the big black bag inside the trash can, slapping his hands together as he inhaled deeply. It was late afternoon now. He thrust his hands in his pockets and made his way back into the house where Luke was still sitting on the living room floor pointing to pictures and sounding them out to Sumo.

“D. Dog. That’s you.” He said pointing to Sumo who just sat there dumbly panting as Luke held the book up for the dog to see, Hank felt a crack in his armor and he moved on to the kitchen to find a drink but all he found was Connor.  
“Do you need to talk about anything?”  
“Nope.” Hank reached behind Connor to open a cabinet and pull out a glass and a bottle of scotch.  
“We don’t have to talk about Cole.”  
“That’s good. Cause we aren’t gonna talk about anything right now.” He was folding in on himself, Connor could see it. He’d known Hank to implode on himself in times of stress before and right now wasn’t the best time for a breakdown, so he decided to change the subject.  
“We should take Sumo out for a walk later.” Hank poured himself a tall glass, pointing to the leash that hung on the wall near the living room as he took a long drink.  
“Knock yourself out.” Connor reached across the table with a gentle smile and soft eyes as he gazed at Hank  
“I meant all of us.” Hank took another long drink mulling over the statement in his mind.   
“Maybe later.” Luke reached the end of the book for the umpteenth time and finally came into the kitchen, he could sense there was something amiss but with no real experience in social situations he couldn’t understand why the atmosphere was as tense as it was.

“Hank?” he asked but got no response  
“Hank is sad?” Connor looked from Luke to Hank who feigned a smile  
“Just tired that’s all.” Luke knelt, arms crossed and head resting on them at the edge of the table.  
“You sleep then feel better?” he asked, Hank nodded swirling the liquid in his glass around as the little android continued to stare, curious and concerned. Quite unsure of what to do Connor just sat there watching the interactions between them. Hank pushed the chair back and slowly stood, somewhat frustrated that Connor and Luke copied him, as if waiting for some instruction.  
“Why don’t you show him the room Con?” Luke looked to Connor who worried his bottom lip with his teeth but he reluctantly extended a hand to Luke who took it without question, Hank stood at the counter listening as the androids entered the bedroom, Luke made happy electric noises as he took it all in. Hank drank back the last of his drink, putting the glass down hard as Luke came scurrying around the corner  
“Is mine? Is my room?” he asked, Hank nodded but his eyes looked pained, Luke padded toward him and craned his neck to look into Hanks face, standing on the tips of his toes. Hank wasn’t sure what he was doing moving his head back as Luke continued to move forward. His eyes were so mechanical, blue and fractured. Hank could see gears spinning where the iris should be but as Luke blinked and strained himself forward his eyes started to soften, the harsh blue faded and slowly white came bleeding in from the sides of his eyes it mixed and swirled and a blue human like iris bloomed into focus. They were Hank’s eyes, perfectly replicated.  
“Connor!” Hank called, Luke moved back and stood flat once more, blinking his new eyes as Connor came quickly into the kitchen, Hank motioned with his hands to the smaller android in amazement and disbelief at what he’d just witnessed. Luke looked back at Hank, pale blue eyes smiling up at him.   
“How did you do that?” Connor asked, Hank shrugged  
“I didn’t do anything, he just looked at me and then started changing.” Luke looked from Connor back to Hank, proud of himself as he began to fidget with a strand of his hair.  
“He must feel a strong connection with you.” Hank wasn’t really sure how to take any of this, yesterday it was just the two of them, now he had an android son and an android partner.  
“Maybe he wanted to make you feel better?”  
“Feel better.” Luke repeated, his voice moving between a normal tone to a mechanical one.  
“I’m fine.” Hank said matter-of-factually, backing away from the counter and moving past the two androids.  
“I’m fine.” Luke repeated, Connor knit his brow following Hank down the hall to the bedroom, Hank sighed as Connor pulled at his shoulder and turned the older man around  
“I said I’m fine.”  
“You aren’t fine.”  
“Okay so I’m not fine. What do you want me to say?”  
“Anything! Just tell me what I can do.” Hank smiled patting Connor on the side of the cheek   
“It’s an adjustment, that’s all.” Connor watched him sit on the bed, hands on his knees as he continued  
“Meeting you and hating you, then needing you and... loving you. I dunno, I know it’s been over a year but it still feels new to me.” Connor sat down placing a hand over Hank’s  
“I just never thought I’d have kids in this house again.” Connor nodded squeezing Hanks hand who smiled inwardly.  
“I didn’t plan on this.”  
“Neither did I.” their eyes met, both overwhelmed both unsure of what was to come, either from each other or the world outside.  
“But I’m happy here. With you.” Hank stroked Connor’s cheek with the back of his hand, who closed his eyes moving into the warmth of Hank’s touch.  
“I love you.” They didn’t say it very often, but now felt like the right time and Connor knew Hank felt the same way as he leaned forward and kissed him softly on the mouth.  
“I know.” Hank leaned to the side looking past Connor who turned to see Luke standing in the doorway, a bashful look on his face, they smiled as he buried his face in his hands and ran into his room. Hank chuckled pushing himself to stand, extending a hand to Connor.  
“Let’s go for that walk, shall we?”


End file.
